# Top DIY Releases of the Week, Sept. 25th – Dizzy Bats, Slunq, Defy The Ocean, High Pines, Arioc, Faithless Town, The Shallows

- Link: https://indierockcafe.com/2012/09/top-diy-releases-of-the-week-sept-25th-dizzy-bats-slunq-defy-the-ocean-high-pines-arioc-faithless-town-the-shallows-instead-of-sleeping-charles-larson/
- Published: 2012-09-30T00:39:30-04:00
- Author: Max Hammer

Each week, we post a playlist of MP3 singles from the Best New Music Releases dropped
for that week. This [week’s top releases](https://indierockcafe.com/2012/09/best-new-albums-sept-25-frightened-rabbit-mumford-sons/)
featured singles from Frightened Rabbit, Mumford & Sons, Dum Dum Girls, Sera Cahoone
and many others. Often in the BNMR playlist, we mix singles from popular indie bands,
as well as lesser known and DIY artists, many of whom are unknown to even the most
die-hard indie music fans. However, lately, we’ve decided to break it up a bit to
separate the ‘indie mainstream’ and label releases from the organic, DIY releases
dropped by artists and bands that exhibit qualities worthy of at least getting a
chance to be heard.

Afterall, it was IRC fans that helped propel bands like Oberhofer to indie fame,
and who voted overwhelmingly in favor of Artist of the Week profiles for DIY musicians
like [Thad Kopec](https://indierockcafe.com/2012/05/diy-artist-of-the-week-thad-kopec/),
and just this week **[Paul Thomas Zito](https://indierockcafe.com/2012/09/diy-artist-of-the-week-pittsburghs-electro-dream-pop-artist-paul-thomas-zito/)**.
Plus, the Top Ten Songs playlists are determined by how many times IRC listeners
stream or download a song we posted during the week. Many times, we are fascinated
by the results, and other times baffled, but in an enlightening way every time.

Much of the filtering includes songs and submissions received from DIY, unsigned
artists and bands. And time and again, we are genuinely surprised how much great
music from talented musicians we hear that, in many cases, we would have never heard
anywhere else. With the DIY posts, we try our best to give artists and bands that
we think at least deserve to be heard, and step back a bit to let the listeners 
decide for themselves – as the Top 10 Songs playlists (September in the works) demonstrate.

Most of the times that we have published a new installment of [In Dee Mail](https://indierockcafe.com/category/in-dee-mail/),
[Artist of the Week](https://indierockcafe.com/category/artist-of-the-week/) or,
more recently, [7 Bands You Gotta Hear](https://indierockcafe.com/category/indie-rock-mixtapes/7-bands-you-gotta-hear/),
the responses from listeners range from good to overwhelming. While there will still
be DIY releases in the Best New Music Releases, and other playlist series, expect
to see more posts exclusively focused on DIY and unsigned artists and bands, many
of them exclusively on IRC.

#### New York Alt. Rock Dizzy Bats Debut First Singles

Just a year since their formation, the **New York City** DIY alternative/nerd rock
band **Dizzy Bats** got our attention with their light and playful style, sounding
very much like college indie rock – with touches of punk pop – that was so popular
in the 1990s. “Please Stall” sounds a lot like Weezer, as does the second, more 
uptempo, single, “Sundial,” with an added touch of **They Might Be Giants**. So 
it’s no surprise that lead vocalist **Connor Frost** told IRC that Dizzy Bats model
their music after bands like **Weezer, Green Day** and **Dinosaur Jr.** Their album
cover looks like it was illustrated by **Keith Haring**.

“Please Stall” – **Dizzy Bats** from _Sundial_

“Sundial” – **Dizzy Bats** from _Sundial_

[Dizzy Bats Official Website](https://indierockcafe.com/2012/09/top-diy-releases-of-the-week-sept-25th-dizzy-bats-slunq-defy-the-ocean-high-pines-arioc-faithless-town-the-shallows-instead-of-sleeping-charles-larson/ dizzybatsmusic.com)

#### London Alternative Rockers Slunq Collaborate Remotely for Debut Album

It may just be coincidental, but we’ve been hearing a higher than usual number of
singles that are of a dark, gloomy, heavy, sad, and mysterious nature.

In keeping with that trend, on Wednesday, the alternative rock band **Slunq** officially
dropped their debut album, _Spoiled Portion_. Slunq’s band members are two-thirds**
London**, one-third **Brixton**. The three musicians have never met one another 
since they began to collaborate on _Spoiled Portion_ in 2010. But they are not newbies
to the world of UK alt. rock.

In fact, they’re all UK noise-rock veterans – **Peter Dahl Collins** and **Chris
Collins** (no relation that we know of) are former members of **CrashTV**, and **
Daniel Knowler** was an original member of **The Infinite Three**. Slunq’s mix of
alternative rock, noise rock and post punk recall their favorite bands – **Killing
Joke, Cardiacs**, and **Nine Inch Nails**. And like most bands, their musical influences
show through in their music.

On the track, “Pig Stick,” the trio knock out dark and raw guitar-driven hard rock(
not quite metal), punctuated by a brewing progression that over boils into full-
steam, unabashed rock. On the second track, “Nailbox,” the sound is even heavier
with chunky guitar riffs and driving rhythms. The more we listen to these tracks,
the more we think Slunq may just be a band to watch in 2013, and yet there are only
a couple of original reviews of Slunq via Google searches, however, their debut 
album did appear on Bandcamp’s page of recommended new releases.

Related Post:  Visually-Impaired Folk Rockers Seek Cure for Eye Disease and the '
First Deaf Rapper' Overcomes Incredible Odds

“Pig Stick” – **Slunq** from _Spoiled Portion_

“Nailbox” – **Slunq** from _Spoiled Portion_

#### London Duo Turn Love of Hard Rock Into An Environmental Cause

Yet another **London** band, well technically, duo, **Defy The Ocean**, dropped 
their debut EP, _Myopic_, last Wednesday. **Chris Theo** is in charge of not only
vocals, but guitar, bass and keyword, while drummer **Marcos Economides**, also 
co-writes with Theo. But the two friends are not writing and recording music for
any personal monetary gain. In fact, all proceeds from the EP will go to a conservation
charity called **Sea Shepherd**.

The EP is a concept piece about humans’ role in the rapidly depleting biodiversity
of Planet Earth, which explains both the bleakness and dramatic darkness of songs
like “Invaders!” and “Neolithic.” It’s hard not to think of _Avatar_ when listening
to the duo’s songs. The EP is available for purchase at Defy The Ocean’s official
website. The band listed their major musical influences as **A Perfect Circle, Deftones,
Alice in Chains** and **Marillion**.

“Invaders!” – **Defy The Ocean** from _[Myopic](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/myopic-ep)_

“Neolithic” – **Defy The Ocean** from _[Myopic](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/myopic-ep)_

#### Brooklyn’s High Pines Drop Psychedelic Debut, _We Are Humans_

More gloom and darkness for this past week’s releases comes from the singles of **
Brooklyn**‘s unsigned band, **High Pines**, but this time it’s in the form of psychedelic
rock joined with soothing pop. It’s quite an accomplishment that this Brooklyn band
is able to effortlessly transition from a dark undertow to a soothing pop melody
in the single, “I Haven’t Seen it All” from the band’s new album, _We Are Humans_,
dropped last Thursday via the band’s DIY label, **Mind Pattern**.

Only a year old, the band did not tell us much about them, which is a bit annoying.
So, we hunted down some further details about who they are and all that. The now
four-member band actually started out as the solo project of Caribbean-born musician**
Leo “Jottin” Lugo** when he relocated to Brooklyn in 2007. Lugo was previously a
member of **Loin**, and spent much of last year working on demos. He then met Colorado
experimental musician **Maxx Loup** (they both have cool ‘stage’ names). The pair
made fast friends in part because of their interest in different forms of music.
Loup, now the band’s lead guitarist, had travelled throughout South America and 
Europe studying African music as well as Spanish culture.

Lugo and Loup knew they had to have a four-piece band, particularly in Brooklyn 
where live gigs are essential for a band to build buzz and credibility in a borough
with more musicians than could fill a football stadium. Soon, they recruited drummer**
Felipe Torres** and bassist **Andrey Kisselev**, and had a full band. This past 
summer, the band performed a number of concerts in the metropolitan area, including
a July 28th show at the Trash Bar in **Williamsburg**, Brooklyn. It’s hard to come
up with another place in the U.S. which has been more influential for indie rock
for the past decade as Brooklyn has, and continues to be.

In addition to world music, Brooklyn, and the larger New York City area, offers 
a cornacopia of every type of music, no matter how old or how outlandish. Therefore
the band will benefit from that especially since they are an experimental band. 
Plus, the influences of High Pines’ self-proclaimed musical proteges, like **The
Doors, The Velvet Underground, Can, Radiohead** and **The Verve** are evident at
one point or another on songs like “All Around,” “I Haven’t Seen it All,” and “I
Walk With You.” If you like to kick back and listen to melancholic retro psychedelic
guitar rock, featuring moments of pop infusions, you might just dig High Pines. 
On the SoundCloud page for “I Haven’t Seen it All,” there are a dozen positive comments,
including Trent Marshall, who wrote: “Definitely has a chill Shins’ vibe to it. 
I’m a fan!” You can also view their Facebook page here.

Related Post:  DIY Albums, EPs and Singles from The Directionals, Daylight Fireworks,
Remember Your Dead, Morning Harvey, Adam George

“I Haven’t Seen it All” – **High Pines** from _We Are Humans_

“All Around” – **High Pines** from _We Are Humans_

#### PA Metal Rockers Arioc Drop Debut Three Years in the Making

More good news for hard rockers looking for bands they’ve never heard of before.
Yet another hard rock band – self-proclaimed as metal – **Arioc**, from **York**,
Pennsylvania, self-released a debut album this week, titled , _Symphony of Demise_.
The band members, **Matt Himes** (guitar), **Brent Zellers** (lead vocals), **Joe
Werner** (drums), **Drew Jeffrey** (keyboards), and **Jeremy McCombs** (bass, vocals)
combined their love of metal, their musical talents and ambition to form Arioc in
2009, and have since been performing mostly in the York area.

According to their official bio: “The band enjoys writing complex rock pieces complete
with technical guitar riffs, powerful vocals, and amazing drum work,” adding an 
unusually modest, and defiant, commentary: “Although not necessarily appealing to
the masses, the band will continue stay true to their progressive roots and write
pieces that complement their current style and improving musical skills as a band.”
Whether you love, like or hate them, it’s hard not to respect their conviction and
stick-tuitiveness, which is not a real word, but it gets the point across. The band
members listed their major musical influences as **Dream Theater, Opeth, Ayreon,
Symphony X, Kansas**, and **Trivium**.

“White Walls” – **Arioc** from _[Symphony of Demise](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/arioc2)_

“Symphony of Demise” – **Arioc** from _[Symphony of Demise](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/arioc2)_

The first single we heard from the **Atlantic**, Georgia DIY alternative rock band**
Faithless Town** stood out among dozens and dozens of other DIY singles out this
week. The song, titled “Ghosts of My Hometown,” sports a catchy rhythmic groove,
punk-style guitar riffs, and excellent vocals and choruses. The band told IRC that
they aim to “combine singer/songwriter sensibilities with a commitment to genuine,
roots rock.”

Faithless Town have headlined at some of Atlanta’s finest venues, including The 
Earl, Smiths Olde Bar, Vinyl, The Drunken Unicorn, The Highland Ballroom and The
Five Spot, and have previously opened for bands like **Manchester Orchestra, Drivin’
N’ Cryin’, Chris Knight, Rachael Sage**, and **Connor Christian & The Southern Gothic**.

Their new album, _American Refugee_, was produced by **Dan Dixon** (PLS PLS, Dropsonic,
The Biters), and the results demonstrate his instincts were right on target.

“Ghosts Of My Hometown” – **Faithless Town** from _American Refugee_ – Sept. 25th

#### London Band The Shallows Drop Debut EP; Featured on BBC

London is dropping plenty of DIY releases in the past week. We have yet another 
album that was sent to us this past week from London, but this one is on the lighter
side of rock. **The Shallows** are an unsigned indie rock/pop band that just formed
this year, and already they have a four-track EP out, _About Time Vol. 1_. The band
sent in two tracks to share, “Fairly True” and “Win or Lose.” In July, “Fair True”
was featured on the _BBC Radio 6_ mixtape series by **Tom Robinson** called “BBC
Introducing,” an award-winning radio show. The song has a rhythmic groove with repeating
guitar chords, and dynamic percussion.

The band consists of young musicians **Tom Skelton** (guitar, lead vocals), **Russ
Cragg** (guitar), **Michael Rendall** (bass) and **Timmy Rickard** (drums). Their
own website’s About page, the band offers no details about themselves, but rather
some philosophical observations that basically say nothing substantive. The information
we were able to find came from a few different sources, including IndieRockReviewer.
com, which said of “Fair True”: “The chorus erupts…with soaring guitars reminiscent
of bands like **Kings of Leon**, or the poppy **Two Door Cinema**.” Just so happens
the band considers Two Door Cinema Club a major musical influence, in addition to**
The Strokes**, **The Bird and the Bee**, and **The Beatles**. Visit [The Shallows’ official website](https://indierockcafe.com/2012/09/top-diy-releases-of-the-week-sept-25th-dizzy-bats-slunq-defy-the-ocean-high-pines-arioc-faithless-town-the-shallows-instead-of-sleeping-charles-larson/ theshallows.co).

Related Post:  DIY Releases Out This Week - Two Suns, Teleskopes, Soy La Vid, Hey
Enemy, Tricky Dope, plus Flashback Tracks

[“Fairly True”](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/Fairly%20True.mp3) –**
The Shallows** from _About Time Vol.1_

[“Win or Lose”](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/Win%20or%20Lose.mp3)–**
The Shallows** from _About Time Vol.1_

#### Band Who Opened for Artists Like fun. and Good Old War Releases New LP

**Pittsburgh**‘s power pop band **Instead of Sleeping** released a new album, _The
Reds, The Blacks, The Grays_, and sent in a couple of tracks to share with IRC listeners.
While their polished pop sound leans more towards what we call commercial rock (
think **Taking Back Sunday**) than it does alternative or indie rock, the young 
band does have their fanbase, and probably a good number of others – especially 
guys – who can’t admit to digging their sounds. The band’s multi-instrumental configuration
consists of two drum kits, horns, keys, and a myriad of other sounds. In less than
three years from the founding, Instead of Sleeping, have become fairly popular for
an unsigned band, and have opened for other bands like **fun., Good Old War** and**
Hawthorne Heights**. We’ll see when the Top 10 list is made for this week whether
the band’s new singles generate any love from listeners.

“Black Light” – **Instead of Sleeping** from _[The Reds, The Blacks, The Grays](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/insteadofsleeping1)_

“Indian Giver” – **Instead of Sleeping** from _[The Reds, The Blacks, The Grays](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/insteadofsleeping1)_

#### Indieducing…Brooklyn Singer-Songwriter and Multi-Instrumentalist Charles Larson

Brooklyn and London were not doubt represented in this post playlist. Add another.**
Charles Larson** is a Brooklyn-based American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist
who likes to mix pop, minimalism, and alternative rock in the vein of pioneering
artists like **Elliott Smith, Graham Coxon**, and **Thom Yorke**. Larson’s new release,
_Shift_, immediately sparks full of playful melodies with haunting electronic undertones
to create what Larson himself describes as “gloom pop”. Showcasing his proficient
songwriting abilities, _Shift_ sets the stage for Larson’s transformation from a
standard band outfit to a more minimalist approach that highlights his striking 
developments as a songwriter and performer.

“#4” – **Charles Larson** from _Shift_

![wanderlustrecordtime](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/Wanderlust.
jpg&sa=X&ei=E8FoUMv_GIn3iwKug4GQCg&ved=0CAkQ8wc&usg=AFQjCNHEXcROaFYqv2ALbgSirZidk-
5axA)

#### Fifteen Years After Hitting It Big, Wanderlust Returns with Third Album

A couple of weeks ago, we feature Wanderlust in a [Fresh Tracks](https://indierockcafe.com/2012/08/fresh-tracks-from-animal-collective-cat-power-the-raveonettes-the-helio-sequence-wanderlust/)
installment. Now that the band has officially released their first album in 15 years,
we have another track they sent us to share with IRC listeners, “Blow Away.” This
year the band celebrates 20 years since they first got together, a whirlwind of 
a time when the **Philadelphia** alternative rock/power pop band quickly amassed
a following of fans and plenty of love from radio DJs. Although it took three years,
Wanderlust released their debut album _Prize_, on the RCA record label. By that 
time, they were one of the most popular power pop bands of the day, even opening
for one of the biggest bands ever, **The Who**, as well as **Ben Folds 5** and **
Collective Soul**.

While their debut album was considered a success, the pressure to record a second
album, and apparently disagreements with RCA, did not work out and they were dropped
by the label in 1997 when the sophomore album failed to get off the ground. The 
unfinished album was later released by a small label, _Not Lame_ a few years later,
but by then fans moved on and Wanderlust were all but forgotten as a quasi one-hit
wonder. Now, 15 years later, the band is back with a new album, _Record Time_, which
officially dropped this week on Zip Records. Here’s the album’s first single, “Lou
Reed,” which had a great reception from fans when we premiered it a few weeks ago,
followed by the second single, “Blow Away.”

[“Lou Reed”](https://indierockcafe.com/wp-content/uploads/01%20lou%20reed1.mp3) –**
Wanderlust** from _Record Time_ – via Zip Records

**Bonus Track**: “Blow Away” – **Wanderlust** from _Record Time_ – via Zip Records